MANCHESTER, N.H. – The No. 2 seed Saint Anselm College softball team is set to host No. 7 seed Adelphi in the opening round of the Northeast-10 (NE10) Softball Championship on Tuesday, April 29th. It is a rematch of last season's NE10 Championship game, where the Hawks earned a 2-0 victory to claim the conference title and an automatic bid to the NCAA postseason. A win for Saint Anselm will send them straight to the double-elimination semifinals, while Adelphi will need to win twice as the lower seed to continue their postseason run.
GAME INFO:
Date: Tuesday, April 29th, 2025
Game One: 2:00 p.m.
Game Two: 4:00 p.m. (If Necessary)
Location: Manchester, N.H. (South Athletic Fields)
Live Stream: NE10 Now on FloSports
Live Stats: Sidearm Sports
Tickets: Purchase Here
ALL-TIME SERIES:
There have been 32 meetings between Adelphi and Saint Anselm all-time. The Panthers currently hold the series edge with a record of 17-14-1. The Hawks maintain a slight advantage at home with a record of 8-6 on the Hilltop. This season, the two teams split in their only two meetings. Adelphi took a 6-0 win in game one, while Saint Anselm pulled out a 4-3 win in game two.
SEMIFINAL PREVIEW:
Saint Anselm finished the regular season 23-14 overall, with a 12-8 mark in NE10 play. The Hawks are coming off a postseason championship last year, marking their fourth appearance in the finals and their third title as a program.
Offensively, Saint Anselm leads the NE10 in stolen bases per game (2.22) and walks (138), while ranking second in earned run average (2.72) and home runs (13). The Hawks have stolen 83 bases this season, the second-highest single-season mark in program history.
Adelphi finished with a 21-25 overall record, going 10-10 in NE10 play. The Panthers have the most softball championships among active NE10 teams, advancing to nine title games and winning five titles.
Adelphi currently leads the conference in double plays turned (17) and ranks second in WHIP, allowing just 1.34 base runners per inning.
KEY PLAYERS:
Sophomore Brooke Tardugno (Methuen, Mass.) has been a menace on the base paths for Saint Anselm this season, leading both the Hawks and the NE10 with 30 steals. She enters the playoffs with the third-most steals in a single season in program history and is just two away from matching the all-time program record of 32.
Senior Sam Wiberg (Exeter, N.H.) has been one of the Hawks' most consistent bats, leading the team in batting average (.357), hits (45), and total bases (61), while ranking second in slugging percentage (.484) and RBIs (20).
Junior Rose Reitmeyer (Oxford, Conn.) has provided plenty of power, leading Saint Anselm in RBIs (31), slugging percentage (.491), home runs (5), and walks (24).
Senior Audrey Arsenault (Stow, Mass.) has impacted the game all over the field, leading the Hawks in runs scored (29) and ranking second in batting average (.319), walks (20), stolen bases (26), hits (38), and total bases (56). She remains a perfect 26-for-26 in stolen bases this season – already the fourth-most steals in a single season in program history, and the most without being caught.
In the pitching circle, Saint Anselm has been led by the trio of senior Sophia DiPippo (Cranston, R.I.) and sophomores Kendra Lee (Endicott, N.Y.) and Sam Ryan (Tewksbury, Mass.). Ryan leads the Hawks in wins (14) and strikeouts (49). Lee has been dominant with a team-best opposing batting average (.213) and ERA (2.31). DiPippo has excelled at limiting hard contact, allowing just one home run all season along with the fewest triples (2) and doubles (10).
For Adelphi, Brianna Pearson has been a standout at the plate, leading the team in doubles (9), walks (14), and slugging percentage (.490). She is tied for the team lead in home runs with three.
Ellen Tarjan also has three home runs while leading the Panthers in total bases (52) and RBIs (22), and ranking second in hits (33) and slugging percentage (.437).
Courtney Murphy has been a steady force offensively, leading Adelphi in batting average (.333) and hits (34). Zee Zee Shreter has been the Panthers' top threat on the base paths, leading the team in runs (23), stolen bases (9), and sacrifice bunts (7).
In the circle, Adelphi has leaned on Lily Kenney and Jenna Plue. Kenney leads the team in ERA (2.44), walks allowed (5), and wins (11), while Plue holds the team lead in opposing batting average (.241) and strikeouts (96).
HEAD COACHES:
Jill Gagnon leads the way for Saint Anselm in her 12th season as head coach. She is already the winningest coach in program history, holding an all-time record of 316-174-2 for a .642 winning percentage – the best by any coach in team history. Gagnon led the Hawks to their first-ever championship in 2019 and added titles in 2021 and 2024. She is a two-time NE10 Coach of the Year, earning the honor in 2018 and 2019.
Katie Apostolopoulos is in her first full season at the helm for Adelphi. She previously coached at New York Institute of Technology, Iona, Kutztown, and Cedar Crest College, where she set the school record for wins in a single season in 2017.
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